According to the European Commission, buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions within the Union. The sector is expected to become completely climate-neutral by 2050. The problem is also evident in Poland, where building modernization is still a rather low-key aspect. And as experts report, this is a big mistake that will cost us a lot in a few years.
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The energy transition in Poland is accelerating, and one of the key tools to support energy efficiency improvements in buildings is concern for the economy of "energy" - both heat and cold. Thermal insulation of buildings - from insulating the building and replacing woodwork, to replacing inefficient heat sources with modern solutions - is a priority in the fight against high energy bills and air pollution. In addition, EU regulations are relentless - all new buildings are to be zero-emission from 2030, while new buildings occupied or operated by public authorities are to become zero-emission as early as 2028.
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Energy retrofitting required
Experts in the construction industry confirm that as many as 70% of buildings in Poland require energy modernization. Only such measures will make it possible to achieve long-term decarbonization goals. Today we are modernizing too few of them. And this is a pity, because renovating buildings is an investment in the future - it reduces heating costs, improves energy security and reduces energy poverty.
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This was discussed at the Polish Business Power Congress in the panel "Thermomodernization - a rescue from smog and rising prices." The panel included Robert Gajda - deputy CEO from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Henryk Kwapisz from Saint Gobain, Przemysław Mazur from Luxrad, Joanna Remiszewska-Michalak from Rockwool Polska and Aleksandra Stępniak from Velux. Also present among the panelists was Marcin Strzelec, product development director at WIŚNIOWSKI, who stressed that properly selected joinery that meets the requirements of the "Clean Air" program (temporarily on hold) not only reduces heating costs, but also improves the comfort of residents and minimizes heat loss at critical points, such as windows and doors.
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When we think about protecting a house from heat loss, we primarily focus on insulating it, as well as replacing windows and doors. However, we should also remember about the garage, especially if it is heated and built into the body of the building. Therefore, it is very important to choose a warm garage door, preferably one with a heat transfer coefficient value not exceeding U=1.3 W/m2K, adds the WIŚNIOWSKI expert.
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It is worth remembering that up to 30% of the heat generated in a house can "escape" through old windows alone. All this is due to leaks in the construction of the window - but also, probably, to the already escaped gas from the glazing packages. It should also be mentioned that huge heat losses are caused by their improper installation, which accounts for as much as 2/3 of the effectiveness of the window installation and insulation. New windows and their proper installation will guarantee us a huge improvement when it comes to the energy balance of our home.
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Not only heating, but also cooling
The WIŚNIOWSKI brand expert rightly added that in addition to the aspect of heating the apartment during winter, it will also be important to cool the building in summer. And, as we can already see, every year we experience summer weather extremes that make us spend more and more money on air conditioning and ventilation of homes and commercial-industrial buildings. What's important, then, is that effective thermal modernization means a reduction in bills, as experts estimate - by as much as 40% per year - so even when selling the building, this will be an important issue - no one will want to live in an environmentally unfriendly building that generates continuous costs not only in winter anymore, but also in summer.
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